When it came to writing the last ever episode of Game of Thrones, the showrunners looked to Breaking Bad.
David Benioff and DB Weiss spoke to Entertainment Weekly about the pressures of ending the series, which has become a huge phenomenon since it first aired in 2011. Despite the huge task on their hands, the pair are united in their belief that "the fans will not be let down" by what the series finale has in store.
"There is no version where everybody says, 'I have to admit, I agree with every other person on the planet that this is the perfect way to do this'—that's an impossible reality that doesn't exist," Weiss said. "I'm hoping for the Breaking Bad [finale] argument where it's like, 'Is that an A or an A+?'"
Benioff and Weiss have directed the final episode, which will air in May. They revealed that only a small number of crew members were allowed on set for the sixth and final episode, with some scenes filmed on closed sets.
For the final season's big battle sequence, though, David Nutter was on hand to direct with cast members - including Maisie Williams (Arya Stark) - revealing the "gruelling" shoot left them "broken" and "miserable".
Last week, HBO released a bunch of one-sheets featuring all the major players going into the final season, but the one featuring Jon Snow (Kit Harington) has generated a seemingly plausible theory surrounding the character’s fate.
Earlier this year, a trailer showing Snow walk in the crypts of Winterfell alongside Sansa (Sophie Turner) and Arya (Maisie Williams), seemed to hint that the character will discover his true heritage in future episodes, thanks to the brief inclusion of a feather.
Another theory that's doing the rounds is that Cersei (Lena Headey) could be the unlikely saviour of Westeros in a battle that could see Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead-Wright) become the show’s true villain.
The eighth and final season of Game of Thrones reaches HBO and Sky Atlantic 14 April. Read everything we know about the final season here.
